6:13pm: Milwaukee announced that it has rescinded the move and instead placed Kinzler on the 15-day DL, with the team apparently learned that Kinzler was suffering from a pre-existing knee issue.
1:23pm: The Brewers announced that they have designated right-handed reliever Brandon Kintzler for assignment in order to clear a roster spot for shortstop Jean Segura, who has been activated from the disabled list. Segura had been on the shelf with a broken pinkie finger.
The 30-year-old Kintzler has allowed five runs in seven innings since being recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs earlier this month, and his 6.35 ERA in 5 2/3 innings at Triple-A this year wasn’t much more inspiring. Still, as Adam McCalvy notes, Kintzler could have simply been optioned to Triple-A but was instead designated for assignment. He becomes the third relatively long-tenured reliever to be designated by the Brewers over the past few weeks, as the team outrighted Rob Wooten to Triple-A last night and did the same with Jim Henderson earlier this month.
Kintzler has been an effective middle relief option for the Brewers over the past two seasons, however. From 2013-14, he notched a 2.93 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 135 1/3 innings of work, thanks in part to a 57.2 percent ground-ball rate. Milwaukee’s 40-man roster drops to 37 with Kintzler no longer on board.
Both Kintzler and Wooten DFA’d within 24 hours. Definitely a change for the better. Wooten was never any good, and Kintzler seems to have totally lost it. I’m still holding out hope this means a big trade is coming with all these free 40-man spots.
BJ..let’s hope so, this is a lost season, we may wait until August though…can see C.Gomez,Lind,Garza,Lohse,W.Smith,Fiers,K-Rod,Broxton,Moldanado,Gennett, all being moved.
Maybe they are hoping to preserve the option and make him more valuable as a trade asset?
I think they could option him as many times as they want this year. He’s already been demoted once.
He wasn’t optioned before, he was outrighted. That’s why he had to be DFA’d this time. He has no options remaining.
So, we’ve cleared two 40-man spots in the last 24 hours, putting us at 37. We’re back up to 38 with the official announcement of Tyler Wagner coming up from AA to start on Sunday, but what of the other two spots? Just open in case we want to claim guys (a la Eric Stults)? Or are we planning more moves in the near future? Regardless of that angle, though, makes sense we’ve removed Wooten and Kintzler from the 40-man. Kintzler hasn’t been himself in awhile, and Wooten has looked terrible this year.
That’s a good way to describe Kintzler. Wooten is an ok last guy in the bullpen, but that’s about it. There’ll probably be some hints in tonight’s broadcast. Melvin is up to something.
One of those spots will be Lucroy….so really just one open spot. Which isn’t that uncommon.
And, I completely forgot that Lucroy was out on rehab assignment. Thanks for that reminder. So, it’s probably just nothing at this point.
This is certainly one you do not see everyday.
Options are good for the entire year. Kintzler still has 1 option left after this year.
Lucroy was on the 15 day DL, and never removed from the 40 man roster. If a player is placed on the 60 day DL, you can open up his 40 man spot.
I don’t see Will Smith being moved, and most of the guys you mentioned have very little trade value. Gomez and Segura have the most, and hopefully Lohse and Garza pick up the pace to increase their value.